After attending ‘The Politics and Cultures of Naming’ online seminar hosted by the Nelson Mandela University in partnership with the Nelson Mandela Foundation, I was inspired by the humility of those who are tasked to work with the burden associated with carrying the Mandela name. I realised that the name doesn’t make Mandela but it means so much for all those who respect and are inspired by it. Protecting his name is largely about protecting the beneficiaries of the name and the realisation that the name will stand even if it is not protected by anyone. What might be important for us all is to acknowledge this benefaction, draw further lessons from it and allow the right of those who refused to receive the gift to do so in peace. Perhaps, a simple acknowledgement that Mandela got many things wrongs and we don’t have to justify that on his behalf posthumously. We can just learn from his fallibility too.
What is of value for us to think on is that the institutions bearing the name of Nelson Mandela are trying to emulate the person whose name they embody, and they do this publicly. One must wonder if the Nelson Mandela Bay is in any way trying to emulate Mandela’s governance style, values and would view in its operation. Do we, as a city put any value, other than being beneficiaries of this name, or should Mandela (and the family) be happy that a city of 1,3 million inhabitants call itself by his name? Does his name make our city, or do we make him? Do we even care? How great it would be to have some public dialogues that are aligned with the person whose name we wear on our chests and adorned our official documents with.
The Mandela Rhodes Foundation, led by Judy Sikuza, is asking itself serious questions of contradictions and complicity in having the two foundation names side by side. This requires serious introspection and deliberations when it comes to how they explain this association to the ever more critical generations X, Y and Z. The Nelson Mandela Foundation, led by Professor Njabulo Ndebele, is consistently clarifying its role on being an effective steward of the legacy and the archive of Mandela without being too over possessive and protective of his name from the world. Mandela gave his name to all the people of the world who are helping to create a non-sexist, democratic, non-racial, and peaceful world. With Professor Sibongile Muthwa at the helm, The Nelson Mandela University is actively building an academic expression of this name and what it stands for in the world. They are, along with the HSRC, led by the outgoing Professor Crain Soudien, and Mandela Foundation, building a scholarship supported by the archive to learn from the now late colossal giant of our time. We ask ourselves, besides the laudable work of the Mandela Bay Development Agency, what is the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality doing in line with the international brand that their name holds? Understanding that MBDA as an instrument for the development of the municipality, however, should the city not align its values and programmes in line with the name? What should a Mandela City look and operate like? If we could teach and train our councillors, municipal directors, MMCs and Mayors to be more like Mandela, how would we achieve that? What of the state of corruption and public service? Where do we leave the project of social cohesion, democracy, and care for the poor and the marginalised?
Let us not give all our politically appointed leaders a blank cheque but we must always put forward our aspirations and expectations in order to quickly identify failing and incompetent leaders without waiting for them to run us to the ground. The name, Mandela, that we so proudly carry should be our conscience, touchstone and support as we approach the elections, unless of course it is just a nice to have accessory for us to loot one another unabated.
By: Olwam Mnqwazi, Gqeberha
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